Gurugram: New exit opened near Iffco Chowk to ease traffic flow

Gurugram: The Gurugram traffic police on Monday evening opened a new exit on the Sector 17/18 dividing road — 800 metres ahead of Iffco Chowk in Sukhrali — on a trial basis, allowing vehicles to take a U-turn while heading towards Delhi on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway or drive back towards Mall Mile, said officials on Tuesday.

This will reduce traffic congestion along Iffco Chowk and make it a signal free junction, and commuters can access the U-turn easily. The new exit is similar in function as that of the U-turn flyover worth ₹33 crore — located 900 metres on the left off Iffco Chowk — which opened for traffic on January 1, 2019. Commuters take a left before Iffco Chowk — along the service lanes of the expressway, which run parallel to the Delhi-Jaipur carriageway along the expressway — to access the exit. The right exit heading from MG Road towards Delhi was closed for commuters after the flyover opened, said the officials.

According to the traffic police, many commuters are either unaware of the U-turn flyover or find it difficult to access, and so, they usually drive on the Delhi-Jaipur carriageway of the expressway instead on the one in the opposite side, take a U-turn at Signature Chowk to head towards Delhi, and thus nearly travel an extra three kilometres.

Ravinder Singh Tomar, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) traffic, said that the situation also led to congestion and accidents as many commuters were unable to access the flyover drive on the wrong side of the road or stop on the main expressway, while trying to gauge the correct path. “The new exit in Sukhrali has been opened for three days on a trial basis to resolve these issues,” Tomar said, adding that the exit on Monday and Tuesday helped in reducing confusion among commuters, and traffic congestion.

The trial is likely to be extended by another week, before making it a permanent exit, said the officials.

The traffic police have also removed jersey barriers, which acted as a median on the Sector 17/18 dividing road, to make the exit accessible to commuters. “The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has not been intimated about the opening of the exit nor about the issues regarding road signs for the U-turn flyover. If a request on the same is submitted to the NHAI in writing, necessary remedial measures will be initiated after an approval from the headquarters,” said Dhruv Gupta, deputy manager of NHAI.

Sewa Ram, an urban transport systems design expert and a faculty member at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) in Delhi, said, “The biggest issue with the U-turn flyovers — both at Shankar Chowk and Iffco Chowk — is that most of the commuters are unfamiliar with such the infrastructure. Without road signs, most of the commuters would not be able to access it, and those who are aware would be sceptical to access it as they might be unaware of the directions,” said Ram.